A U.S. attack on Iraq might destroy Saddam Hussein's presidential palaces, but don't worry about him becoming homeless. With an estimated $2 billion fortune, he will still have plenty of pocket money to find suitable digs elsewhere.

As part of our annual ranking of the world's richest people, we calculated the net worth of eight of the world's richest royals and dictators. Hussein isn't the richest--we reckon that the fortune of Saudi Arabia's King Fahd is ten times greater--but he is worth approximately four times as much as the Queen of England.

Be warned: Valuing these folks is a tricky business. First we must determine privately held assets versus those held in trust for the nation. For example, we don't count the crown jewels or Buckingham Palace as part of Queen Elizabeth II's net worth. They technically belong to the British state, much like the White House belongs to the U.S. government.

Some estimates are fuzzier than others. We calculate Fidel Castro's wealth as a percentage of Cuba's GDP. Arafat's net worth is based on proceeds he is believed to have skimmed from Palestinian Authority income.

Kings, Queens And Despots

Of the richest heads of state, only four would make our billionaires list based on their personal fortunes. Click on any name for more information.